The instant invention relates to apparatus and a method for handling high volume business mail, and in particular, to in-line, inserter devices having a plurality of hopper-held insert feeding assemblies positioned along conveyors for dispensing inserts onto the conveyors, and devices for stuffing envelopes with inserts.
Many present mechanical devices for stuffing inserts into envelopes employ conveyors for conveying stack-dispensed inserts to an envelope stuffing device. Multiple inserter devices rely on a plurality of hoppers which are disposed along conveyors and which dispense inserts onto the conveyor in predetermined manner to result in collated packages of inserts that are subsequently inserted into envelopes.
Increasingly widespread need in commercial and governmental institutions is found for envelope inserting equipment that is capable of operating at higher celerities with high reliabilities and short down-times. Problems associated with high-speed operation of such equipment are generally of a kind that do not exist or are inconsequential in lower speed operations. Such problems, for instance, relate to high accelerations and decelerations of mechanical components and inserts and envelopes, together with frictional, inertial, and other effects impacting the moving equipment components and document materials being manipulated. Moreover, demands on accuracy of document material positioning and alignment in the course of document handling is greatly increased in high speed operation.
Additionally, equipment down-time takes on a whole new meaning when high speed operation is involved. Even a short down-time represents loss of significant proportions of production runs and requires costly, skilled operator action in order to remedy the cause, as well as to re-set pre-programmed operation to obtain the required production.
Heretofore, whenever envelopes have been delivered to the inserting station to receive inserts, a mis-alignment of the envelope has resulted in either a jammed envelope or the entire inserting device being stopped, both of which result in significant down-time. Thus, the instant invention provides a method and apparatus which results in neither a jammed envelope or the inserting device being stopped.